Contents

#Overview 1 First Launch 2 Design Development 3 Competitor Analysis

4 Montage - Testing 5 Montage - Exploration 6 Second Launch: Montage Website 7 Raster vs. Vector

8 Vector - Testing 9 Third launch: Montage / Vector Website 10 Conclusion

Intro
The Nutmeg website allows customers to build and manage their diversified portfolios, using technology to keep charges low and transparently show where they are invested.

Challenge
General consensus within the business was that the website needed to be refreshed. A recent TV advert launch prompted the project to go ahead so that the website would match in terms of look and feel.

Solution
We would redesign the website as proposed but work on defining a set branding to use across all our platforms in order to build consistency, which was lacking.

1. First Launch

A video campaign had just launched (see video here). High numbers of viewers were 'dual screening', which prompted Nutmeg to run a sprint to tactically refresh their website to match the look and feel of the TV advert. Unfortunately, because of a short timeframe of 1 week, no testing was done on the design. However, on the day of the launch of the new homepage there was an uplift of traffic to the site by 79%.

A quick fix revamp of the homepage was required to match the look and feel of the video advert

2. Design Development

Response to the new 'collage' approach was found to be favourable and over the coming weeks and months it was adapted and explored in a range of media.

The collage approach being used in a range of media

However, we were aware that we had simply taken a campaign style and retrofitted it. Questions were asked if the montage approach would sustain itself and whether it would still be appropriate as focus shifted to a higher net worth audience.

3. Competitor Analysis

Whilst setting out to 'disrupt' the financial sector, we found FinTech brands were actually starting to homogenise their identities. Rather than looking 'different' from the old way, they were simply starting to look more and more like each other.

Competitor adverts looking similar to each other

The montage approach resonated well with the Nutmeg brand, and it made them different from their peers. We combined the best of the traditional (investment experience, real people looking after their money, the human touch) with the best of the contemporary (great UX, digitally enabled, efficiency, no bloated fees).

In much the same way, the online montage style combined the traditional (hand crafted, artistically created, a sense of craft) with the contemporary (digital design, three dimensionality, simplicity).

4. Montage - Testing

The critical next step was to test with Nutmeg's target audiences, to strip away any subjective perspectives and get an accurate read. We therefore tested two different moodboards, one with a more classic, elegant 'FinTech' style, the other with the latest and more vibrant 'montage' style.

Classic vs. modern

With £70k+ households both designs scored almost equally in terms of appropriateness of design, however the montage style delivered much higher levels of overall engagement.

Findings from the user testing

5. Montage - Exploration

In the next round we tested a slightly adjusted version of the montage creative (with some refinement to the colour and a more restrained application of collage) and a route where the collage elements became more 'stylized' as a digital montage. We also wanted to show the montage style alongside digital screens.

Abstract Digital Montage
Commentary
Engagement score increase significantly with affluence. Strong on positive associations (professional, simple, modern without looking like every other fintech.

Engagement Scores
All respondents:
Very:16.9%
Quite: 46.6%
Neutral: 25.7%

Family income >£75k:
Very: 25.5%
Quite: 45.5%
Neutral: 23.6%

Classic Fintech
Commentary
Lowest engagement scores with more affluent demographics. Brand associations of simplicity, modernity, professionalism. Very generic in fintech landscape

Engagement Scores
All respondents
Very: 24.7%
Quite: 45.4%
Neutral: 26%

Family income >£75k:
Very: 23.8%
Quite: 42.9%
Neutral 23.8%

Montage Style
Commentary
Exceptionally high overall engagement scores (over 85% rate as quite or very engaging) for all respondents and even higher for HNW (94.5%). Highly differentiated brand terms (fun, bright, vibrant, engaging, innovative).

Engagement Scores
All respondents
Very: 26.7%
Quite: 59.3%
Neutral: 10%

Family income >£75k:
Very: 27.8%
Quite: 66.7%
Neutral: 3.7%

Consistently, across multiple rounds of testing the various montage approaches scored highly, particularly with affluent households.

The two more 'subtle' routes of abstract montage and classic fintech both performed adequately, and either designs would have been an appropriate basis for Nutmeg's brand. Associations of professionalism and modernity were strong in those routes.

However, it was clear that the more vibrant, punchy and 'revolutionary' montage style was the greatest standout. It felt more in line with Nutmeg's desire to regain their 'challenger' brand status.

6: Second Launch: Montage Website

Armed with the research findings and after much deliberation it was finally decided we would take the route of the following design, where we decided to use the collage style with paper cut-outs to give a unique look. The design went live in October 2019 and resulted in a traffic increase of 78%.

Second refresh of the homepage

7. Raster vs. Vector

Shortly after the successful launch of the new homepage design we had decided that another refresh was required. We needed to align designs across all the platforms as there was no consistency with the website and mobile app. Both existed in their own ecosystem with their own styles and this was not helping the brand identity as it added to the confusion with the customers.

It was immediately clear that we needed to move away from creating graphics as raster images and instead create them as scalable vector graphics. We needed to create assets that could work across all the platforms including the mobile app without degrading the quality of the image.

With this in mind, we created a variety of designs, some using the montage style as before, but we were also experimenting with illustrations. All the graphics for the following designs were created using vectors.

Some vector designs of the homepage

8. Vector - Testing

The test results came back conclusive. People favoured R5 and R6, although R6 had some 'appropriate' issues. Words used to describe both designs included, 'eye-catching', 'modern' and 'engaging'. It was decided that we would develop the design of R6 further but incorporate elements from R5 that worked, like using a white background for the hero image and dialling back the textures.

Results from the vector based designs

After much deliberation and testing we finally created the designs below. It tested well with Nutmeg's target audience and it was well received by everyone in the company. However, the general consensus amongst everyone in the business was that even though the designs were great it looked too generic and the uniqueness that was present previously with the montage style had been lost.

Final vector based design

9. Third launch: Montage / Vector Website

Taking onboard all the findings it was decided that we would go back to the vibrant montage style graphics that were developed in the beginning, but to keep the textured and illustrative look that were present in the later developments. All graphics were created as vectors and no raster images were used.

After much development and testing we created the final design showcased below. This new look homepage was launched in February 2020, which resulted in an increase of traffic by 82% and tested favourably with the higher net worth audience.

Due to the successful launch of this new style, work was soon started on rebranding the mobile app.

Final website

10. Conclusion

This project spanned almost 5 months, with a huge number of mock-ups created and many tests carried out. It was challenging but a massive learning experience. From beginning to end we could see how the design evolved and for me that was incredibly exciting. It was never expected for things to go right the first time and it took a lot of work and a collective effort to realise the direction the designs should take. This project was thoroughly enjoyable to work on and we couldn’t be happier with the final results.